1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to call restoration in a communication system, and, more particularly, to a method and system for retaining a queuing order for interrupted calls in a communication system.
2. State of the Art
Connection-based or point-to-point calls such as traditional telephone calls, for example, over a public switched telephone network, are generally established in a real time or near real time manner. As such, the establishment of communication sessions generally does not require the formation of a queue or waiting list for the establishment of connection-based calls.
However, when a communication session requires, for example, an intermediary service, such as interpretive services for the deaf or hearing-impaired, the formation of a queue or waiting list is commonplace as call-initiating parties await the availability of interpretive services. Because of the latency of establishing a communication session, opportunities exist for the partial communication session between a calling party and an interpretive service to be interrupted, resulting in the loss of priority or position in the queue when the calling party reinitiates contact with the interpretive services.
Similarly, a channel formed between a calling party and an interpretive service provider may frequently be established over a connectionless network. Such alternative network configurations between a called party and an interpretive service may be required due to the enhanced bandwidth nature of such a connection, particularly if such a connection employs a broadband device, such as a video phone for communicating between the called party and the interpretive service. As such, a broadband network for facilitating the transfer of an enhanced bandwidth data may employ connectionless channels such as one employing Internet Protocol (IP) or other packetized connectionless technologies. It is appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that such connectionless based networks regularly experience dropped packets or other network interruptions that may cause the connectionless based communication link between a calling party and an interpretive service to be dropped or otherwise lost. In such an environment where a calling party assumes a position in a queue while awaiting, for example, interpretive services, the calling party would lose their position in the queue and upon subsequent reconnection would assume a more unfavorable position in the queue, namely joining the queue in the lowest priority or last position.
Therefore, in order to provide an enhanced experience for a user in a communication system where a calling party assumes a position in a queue while awaiting the completion of the establishment of a communication session, the need exists for recovering from the loss of a dropped connection during the establishment of a communication session or partial session utilizing a form of intermediary services.